Wagon-brake.



No. 636,13l. Patented Oct. 3|, I899. W. N. & J. M. GANTT.

WAGON BRAKE.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTORS;

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UNITED STATES- PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM N. GANTT AND JAMES M. GANTT, OF LIBERTY, SOUTH CAROLINA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,131, dated October 31, 1899. Application filed August 29, 1899.- Serial No. 728,823. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM N. GANTT and JAMES M. GANTT, citizens of the United States, residing at Liberty, in the county of Pickens and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Brakes; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in wagon-brakes, and has for its object to so construct the same as to occupy the least possible space in the fore part of'the wagon, and also to provide the same with an independently-operated lock or catch for holding the same at different degrees of tensions.

The invention also contemplates improvements whereby the brake maybe set and released by a person in rear of or on top of a load of hay or the like with which a wagon may be loaded.

The invention also relates to several parts and particular relations of parts, to be here'- inafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated, like letters of reference relate to corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward portion of a wagon-truck with the invention applied theretoshowing in full lines the brake in set position and in dotted lines the normal or idle position of the brake and its operating parts; and Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the brake-lever and its various associated parts detached therefrom.

- Referring to the figures of the drawings, A designates the front wheels and axle of an ordinary wagon-truck, to which is attached a tongue B, through the medium of the fore hounds O, which latter extend rearwardly to substantially the plane of the rear of the wheels. At the opposite ends of the hounds are secured elongated metallic guides or loops D, in which slides the brake-beam E, provided with brake-shoes E.

tion, bending downward slightly to pass freely I below the axle, to the lower end of the brakeoperating lever G, where it is attached to a bolt g, immediately beneath the center of the tongue B. The bolt 9 unites the two ends of metallic strips 9, which are secured to the brake-lever and extend to either side of the tongue and are pivoted thereto by means of the through-bolt g Antifriction-rollers g are placed upon the bolt g, to the sides of the connecting-rod F, to keep the same properly centered and to also prevent the same from cutting the tongue should the same come in contact therewith. An operating-cable H, fastened at the extreme upper end of the lever G, which lever may be of any desired height, serves to draw the lever backward into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and apply the brake.

To afford an efficient lock for holding the brake on, we have pivoted in recessed portions j in the sides ofv the brake-lever the bifurcated end j of a catch or locking-pawl J, the same projecting downwardly at its outer end to a position to properly engage with the teeth of a rack J, formed on the uppersurface of the tongue B. Pivoted to this catch intermediate its ends is a connecting-link K, of a length somewhat shorter than the brakebeam, which is attached at its upper end to one arm of an L-lever L. The lever L is in turn pivotally mounted in the bifurcated portion lot a bolt L, fastened through the brakelever and secured thereto by the nut Z The opposite end of the L-lever is attached to an operating-cable H, passing through a guideaperture h in the brake-lever somewhat below the point of attachment of the cable H and secured at its end to the end of said cable ll.

The operation will be quite apparent.

When the brake is to be applied, the operator, irrespective of his position on the wagon,

whether it be on the front seat, on top of the load, or on the back of the wagon in the rear of the load, all that is necessary is to draw upon the cable H, and the brake, through the lever G, will be promptly applied. The locking-pawl or catch by force of gravity will depend in engagement with the teeth of the rack on the tongue and lock the lever in set position. To release the brake, the operator has to pull upon the cable H independently of the cable H and permit the lever and catch to fall forward to its normal position. (Indi cated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.)

It will thus be seen that by providing the operating-cables in the manner described the brake may be set or released from any portion of the wagon, and that by providing a gravity-catch to be operated independently of the brake-lever its accidental displacement is practically dispensed with, inasmuch as any backward draw upon the upper end of the brake-lever will tend to draw more tightly upon the brake-beam and set the brake rather than release the catch, as is the case in some of the previously-patented devices.

Of course the manner of attaching and guiding the operating-cables is not restricted to that shown in the drawings, as it is apparent that the details in this respect, as well as in others, may be departed from somewhat without departing from the essence of the invention. For instance, the operating-cables H and H may be formed of a continuous piece of material rather than (if two members, as shown.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a brake, an elongated brake-lever pivotally secured to the tongue and projecting slightly below the same, a connecting-rod between the brake beam and lever, a gravity-catch pivoted to said brake-lever, a rack adapted to be engaged by said catch, and means for independently operating the catch and brake-lever respectively, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a brake, an operating-lever pivoted to the tongue and projecting below the same, a connecting-rod between the brake-beam and the lower end of the brake-lever, and antifriction-rollers on the lower end of the brake-lever, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a brake, of an operating-lever therefor, a cable attached to the upper end of said lever, a catch pivoted directly to said operating-lever near its lower end, stops adapted to be engaged by said catch to retain the lever in locked position, and a cable attached to said catch and guided by the operating-lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. GANTT. JAMES M. GANTT.

Witnesses:

T. H. HUNTER, J. V. GRIFFIN. 

